New High-Speed Ferries For NY Waterway

NY Waterway has ordered four new high-speed ferries from Allen Marine of Sitka, Alaska, and anticipates to have some of the new boats in service this year on new routes, including the East River, according to NY Waterway president Arthur Imperatore, Jr. Known as the Sea Otter class, each of the new ferries will carry 97 passengers at speeds of more than 30 knots, approximately 35 mph. The single hull boats house three water jet engines, as well as a bow-loading feature that (a NY Waterway ferry exclusive) allows safe, efficient passenger loading and unloading. The Otters are constructed to carry commuters from East 90th Street to Wall Street's Pier 11 in 15 minutes, or from Hunterspoint, Queens to Pier 11 in 12 minutes. Aside from this new project, NY Waterway is tank-testing the final design for yet another new class high-speed ferry - a larger, faster catamaran, which will be placed in service in Spring 2002 for a new route between Monmouth County, N.J. and Manhattan. Allen Marine will build at least three of these boats within the next year. With hulls designed to minimize the vessels' wake, they are powered by three Caterpillar 3406 electronic engines, generating 550 hp each, the engines drive three Hamilton water jets.